Staffing

Requisites

Pre-requisite: JRN1000 and JRN2000

Other requisites

Students will require access to e-mail and must have internet access to UConnect for this course.

Rationale

Developments in the news media require journalists to be familiar with journalism tools in all media and to be able to move easily among different media. The main emphasis in this course is on training in the techniques of audio and radio journalism. Students will develop their skills in reporting, writing and editing news for radio and online news media.

Synopsis

This course provides students with a hands-on introduction to reporting, writing, recording and presenting broadcast news for a working newsroom with real-life deadlines. It stresses current affairs knowledge. Students will learn to record and edit stories, think independently, refine their news sense, operate within the community as journalists and make ethical editorial decisions. Students will also develop a critical understanding of the role and function of broadcast journalism, including the theoretical debates concerning the news media's key functions. Topics covered include radio news in context, broadcast news production, news writing style, interview techniques, voice production and editorial decision-making.

Objectives

On successful completion of this course students should be able to:

demonstrate knowledge of the major news events of the previous weeks, in particular how these events were handled by broadcast media;

demonstrate academic and professional literacy skills by comprehending the major theoretical debates concerning the news media, including the role of broadcast media in fostering public awareness of social issues and problems;

isolate major news stories and justify their inclusion in a radio news bulletin;

demonstrate written and oral communication skills by preparing and submitting radio news stories (based on experience gained from learning activities, original material and interviews) and by producing stories with recorded material;

demonstrate interpersonal skills appropriate to the profession by conducting interviews;

demonstrate ethical research and enquiry skills by applying professional ethical frameworks to the production of news stories and bulletins.

Topics

Description

Weighting(%)

1.

Current affairs

10.00

2.

News production

10.00

3.

Broadcast news writing style

20.00

4.

Interview techniques

10.00

5.

Reporting skills

15.00

6.

Constructing a news story

10.00

7.

Voice production

5.00

8.

Editorial decision-making and newsroom operations

10.00

9.

Broadcast news - ethical frameworks and theoretical contexts

10.00

Text and materials required to be purchased or accessed

ALL textbooks and materials available to be purchased can be sourced from USQ's Online Bookshop (unless otherwise stated). (https://bookshop.usq.edu.au/bookweb/subject.cgi?year=2013&sem=01&subject1=JRN2002)

Students must complete and submit all items of assessment in order to be considered for a passing grade in this course. The use of another person's work as the student's own, without appropriate acknowledgment according to USQ's academic conventions, is plagiarism. Where such a breach of ethical conduct occurs, the assignment may receive a mark of zero

The CMA test must be completed online.

Students should read the assignment description for Newsbreak. Newsbreak consists of three stories, each worth a total of 20 per cent of the course's marks, for a total of 60 per cent of the course's marks. Students must complete and submit one Newsbreak story per shift in order to be considered for a passing grade in this course. All stories must be submitted in class as well as via EASE. Students who fail to complete and submit a story for a shift will receive a mark of zero for their story. Students who present a valid medical certificate for a missed Newsbreak story deadline will be required to complete and submit their story at a date and time to be determined in consultation with the examiner/news editor. In order to successfully complete this assessment item, students must maintain an up-to-date knowledge of news events and current affairs. All stories must be the student's own, original work. They must not have been submitted by the student, or written by the student, for any other publication for broadcast or publication within one month of Newsbreak's due dates. The use of another person's work as the student's own news story is plagiarism. Where such a breach of ethical conduct occurs, the story will receive a mark of zero

Students should read the assignment description for Newsbreak. Newsbreak consists of three stories, each worth a total of 20 per cent of the course's marks, for a total of 60 per cent of the course's marks. Students must complete and submit one Newsbreak story per shift in order to be considered for a passing grade in this course. All stories must be submitted in class as well as via EASE. Students who fail to complete and submit a story for a shift will receive a mark of zero for their story. Students who present a valid medical certificate for a missed Newsbreak story deadline will be required to complete and submit their story at a date and time to be determined in consultation with the examiner/news editor. In order to successfully complete this assessment item, students must maintain an up-to-date knowledge of news events and current affairs. All stories must be the student's own, original work. They must not have been submitted by the student, or written by the student, for any other publication for broadcast or publication within one month of Newsbreak's due dates. The use of another person's work as the student's own news story is plagiarism. Where such a breach of ethical conduct occurs, the story will receive a mark of zero

Students should read the assignment description for Newsbreak. Newsbreak consists of three stories, each worth a total of 20 per cent of the course's marks, for a total of 60 per cent of the course's marks. Students must complete and submit one Newsbreak story per shift in order to be considered for a passing grade in this course. All stories must be submitted in class as well as via EASE. Students who fail to complete and submit a story for a shift will receive a mark of zero for their story. Students who present a valid medical certificate for a missed Newsbreak story deadline will be required to complete and submit their story at a date and time to be determined in consultation with the examiner/news editor. In order to successfully complete this assessment item, students must maintain an up-to-date knowledge of news events and current affairs. All stories must be the student's own, original work. They must not have been submitted by the student, or written by the student, for any other publication for broadcast or publication within one month of Newsbreak's due dates. The use of another person's work as the student's own news story is plagiarism. Where such a breach of ethical conduct occurs, the story will receive a mark of zero

The CMA test must be completed online.

Important assessment information

Attendance requirements:
It is the students' responsibility to attend and participate appropriately in all activities (such as lectures, tutorials, laboratories and practical work) scheduled for them, and to study all material provided to them or required to be accessed by them to maximise their chance of meeting the objectives of the course and to be informed of course-related activities and administration. Students must attend and complete the requirements of the Workplace Health and Safety training program for this course where required.

Requirements for students to complete each assessment item satisfactorily:
To satisfactorily complete an individual assessment item a student must achieve at least 50% of the marks.

Penalties for late submission of required work:
If students submit assignments after the due date without (prior) approval of the examiner then a penalty of 5% of the total marks gained by the student for the assignment may apply for each working day late up to ten working days at which time a mark of zero may be recorded.

Requirements for student to be awarded a passing grade in the course:
To be assured of receiving a passing grade a student must achieve at least 50% of the total weighted marks available for the course.

Method used to combine assessment results to attain final grade:
The final grades for students will be assigned on the basis of the aggregate of the weighted marks obtained for each of the summative assessment items in the course.

Examination information:
There is no examination in this course.

Examination period when Deferred/Supplementary examinations will be held:
As there are no examinations in this course, there will be no deferred or supplementary examinations.

University Student Policies:
Students should read the USQ policies: Definitions, Assessment and Student Academic Misconduct to avoid actions which might contravene University policies and practices. These policies can be found at http://policy.usq.edu.au.

Assessment notes

The due date for an assignment is the date by which a student must despatch the assignment to the USQ. The onus is on the student to provide proof of the despatch date, if requested by the Examiner.

Students must retain a copy of each item submitted for assessment. This must be despatched to USQ within 24 hours if required by the Examiner.

In accordance with University Policy, the Examiner may grant an extension of the due date of an assignment in extenuating circumstances.

If electronic submission of assessments is specified for the course, students will be notified of this in the course Introductory Book and on the USQ Study Desk. All required electronic submission must be made through the Assignment Drop Box located on the USQ Study Desk for the course, unless directed otherwise by the examiner of the course. The due date for an electronically submitted assessment is the date by which a student must electronically submit the assignment. The assignment files must be submitted by 11.55pm on the due date using USQ time (as displayed on the clock on the course home page; that is, Australian Eastern Standard Time).

If the method of assessment submission is by written, typed or printed paper-based media students should (i) submit to the Faculty Office for students enrolled in the course in the on-campus mode, or (ii) mail to the USQ for students enrolled in the course in the external mode. The due date for the assessment is the date by which a student must (i) submit the assessment for students enrolled in the on-campus mode, or (ii) mail the assessment for students enrolled in the external mode.

The Faculty will NOT normally accept submission of assessments by facsimile or email.

Students who do not have regular access to postal services for the submission of paper-based assessments, or regular access to Internet services for electronic submission, or are otherwise disadvantaged by these regulations may be given special consideration. They should contact the examiner of the course to negotiate such special arrangements prior to the submission date.

Students who have undertaken all of the required assessments in a course but who have failed to meet some of the specified objectives of a course within the normally prescribed time may be awarded one of the temporary grades: IM (Incomplete - Make up), IS (Incomplete - Supplementary Examination) or ISM (Incomplete -Supplementary Examination and Make up). A temporary grade will only be awarded when, in the opinion of the examiner, a student will be able to achieve the remaining objectives of the course after a period of non directed personal study.

Students who, for medical, family/personal, or employment-related reasons, are unable to complete an assignment or to sit for an examination at the scheduled time may apply to defer an assessment in a course. Such a request must be accompanied by appropriate supporting documentation. One of the following temporary grades may be awarded IDS (Incomplete - Deferred Examination; IDM (Incomplete Deferred Make-up); IDB (Incomplete - Both Deferred Examination and Deferred Make-up).

Students may be assigned an "Incomplete" grade to signify that all the requirements of the course have not yet been met. Students who are graded "I" can pass the course by successfully completing such additional work as prescribed by the examiner by a given date. Students who have been awarded an IM, ISM, IDM or IDB grade must access information regarding further work to be completed, in the Student Centre of U Connect. The Grades Page in the Student Centre contains information about further work to be completed. Students who have not completed the additional work to the satisfaction of the examiner by the given date will receive the appropriate Failing grade.

Other requirements

Students can expect that questions in assessment items in this course may draw upon knowledge and skills that they can reasonably be expected to have acquired before enrolling in the course. This includes knowledge contained in pre-requisite courses and appropriate communication, information literacy, analytical, critical thinking, problem solving or numeracy skills. Students who do not possess such knowledge and skills should not expect to achieve the same grades as those students who do possess them.

The journalism program maintains high standards of spelling, punctuation, syntax and style. Faults in any of these could render an assignment unacceptable.

New reporting assignments in this course require the use of interviews. Students should be aware of the Journalists' Code of Ethics which applies to the reporting and writing of all news stories in this course and can be accessed at http://www.alliance.org.au/code-of-ethics.html/